07/08/2012 / RUSSIA
Russian opposition activist Navalny’s office found ‘bugged’
Photo of wiretap found in Navalny's offices. Photo posted on Twitter by @navalny.
Alexei Navalny is a lot of things. First of all, he is Russian. He is also a lawyer and a blogger. These activities eventually led him to become an anti-corruption activist and vocal critic of President Vladimir Putin and his United Russia party. From there, Navalny became an opposition figurehead and, consequently, a thorn in the Kremlin’s side. Which may have something to do with the reason why Navalny found his offices bugged on Monday, August 6.
Navalny immediately took to Twitter to post photos of his tapped office. The images are like something out of a Cold War era thriller, with wires snaking out of baseboards and miniature microphones and all.
Navalny has served multiple short jail stints for his political activities and on July 31 was charged with embezzlement over a timber contract in the Kirov region, where he served as a local government advisor in 2009. Despite the fact that the crime carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years, Navalny has reportedly dismissed the charges as nothing more than “absurd”.
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